CLOSED: Vegan Divas Bakery

Vegan bakery with its own storefront in the Upper East Side NYC, opened in August 2012. Offers a varied range of baked sweets from vegan donuts to vegan cakes and pastries; plus coffee drinks. Confirmed closed July 2017.

8 Reviews

Cute little place. Their pastries are good but can be hit or miss. I've had an amazing muffin or cupcake one day and then a super dry one the next. When its good its really good, but when it isn't it could keep some folks away for a bit.

I wish I could find something positive to say about this place as I highly encourage vegan and gluten free food, but I can't. Recently my fiance' ordered a birthday cake for me there. He picked it up the day of my party and when he cut into it the quality was horrible. Short of the frosting on the top, the actual cake was hard and crumbly (as if it had been sitting around for many days) . EVERYONE at my birthday party threw their cake in the garbage.

I reached out to Fernanda (the owner) who promised to correct this. Two weeks later when I e-mailed her to request the replacement cake I received a bounced back e-mail from her [email protected]… e-mail.

I went into the bakery to resolve this in person (as well as order the promised replacement cake) and was told that even though she was in her office (which is in the same building) that I was not expected and could wait to see if she would come out. Really?! She never did come out but rather called me on the front counter phone and told me that her gmail was having issues....

She informed the woman at the counter (who unfortunately was now caught in the middle of this) to credit me for the cake towards a new cake. Here's the kicker. She gave her a $45 credit amount to give to me when MORE than that was spent on the original cake. I found out the ACTUAL amount after speaking with my fiance'...Really?!

I was called by Fernanda the next day and she explained to me that she was very busy the day I came in and that she would guarantee me a better experience with a new cake that was her "best seller". I agreed after some hesitation.

The night BEFORE I was to pick up this "best seller" Fernanda had her baker call me to tell me the cake did not come out well and would I mind another cake. At this point I called Fernanda directly and asked for a refund, which she said she would do first thing on Monday (3 days later) and e-mail me. By late Monday night I had to e-mail her to remind her of this as I had not received an e-mail.

I received an e-mail from her book keeper the next day stating that the purchase amount would be refunded within three business days. I can only hope this is the ONE promise/guarantee Fernanda actually keeps!

I would not recommend this place to anyone wanting a QUALITY vegan cake, gluten free or otherwise and can only hope that this review will keep you from making the same mistake.

A very disappointed and dissatisfied customer!

Pros: Easy for Upper East Siders to get to

Cons: Bad products , Horrible Customer Service , Too Expensive for what it is

We had three doughnuts: chocolate, cinnamon, and coconut and they were nice and moist and not too sweet. The macaroon was good, but the brownie was a bit bitter. We had better desserts at the Candle Cafe and Peacefood Cafe.

A vegan bakery??!!! Why haven't I heard more about this place? Is it a secret because it's in the UES? I want one of everything! Check that - after ordering over several saliva tingly delicious looking choices, I was saddened. Places like this are for vegans and health conscious (mental, moral or dietary) folks. Those who want a good of fashions baked good will be disappointed. Sorry to say it, too.

The good part is that at least it's relatively healthy? There are tasty choices here, but the cookies and brownies are not what I would buy again. The coconut macaroons or coconut based tarts - delectable delights!!! The almond milk latte- yes! The smooth tofu or nut based mousses- quite tasty! The cake.... Slightly too grainy and crumbly. The donuts- I didn't even try them because they are not donuts if they are not fried. Just because they are in shape with a hole in the middle, such shape does not justify naming the concoction a donut. Call then baked muffins with holes- cause that's what they really look like and will taste like.

I like what they aim to achieve, but I want them to be more successful for the sake of vegans! So, just be careful of some more traditionally flour-based baked goods... They will be somewhat disappointing if compared to standard expectations.

I went there because I was visiting NYC and was in the area, but I wasn't really hungry... anyway, the desserts displayed didn't appeal to me much, for that reason maybe, but the employee was nice, and I chose the chocolat mousse to go. This mousse is reason enough to go back to Vegan Divas. It is heavenly.

Vegan, yes. Divas? Sadly my experience affirms the less pleasant of the 2 definitions of the word.

We sought out this cute location because they serve vegan baked goods on UES. Full from eating at The Green Bean Cafe, I didn't think anything could tempt me to enter but the large permanent purple menu on the exterior had everyone in my group wanting to try a little something.

I scanned the case of tidy baked goods for the menu item that had caught my attention but could not see it. "Tell me about your Spicy Doughnuts," I asked the young woman behind the counter. "We don't HAVE them," she told me in an exasperated tone as she sat into one hip,"We have NEVER had them as long as I have been here." She seemed annoyed at me for asking about them but I explained they were on the menu. "The menu is wrong," she defended.

I suggested maybe a little piece of tape over the doughnut flavor they don't make but as it turns out the menu was wrong in many ways, the Chili-kissed Oatmeal Raisin Cookies my husband was interested in were also not made and many of the prices were wrong. Confused, we reached for a paper, take-out style menu from a pile on the table and she snapped, "That menu is wrong too."

She didn't try to suggest any baked good that was similar nor tempt us with something that was popular. Not being hungry, I wasn't compelled to study everything in the case to find something so we all left without tasting a bite of anything.

Diva as "a woman of outstanding talent" or "a bitchy woman that must have her way exactly, or no way at all. often rude", I am afraid I have to label this vegan bakery with the latter.